Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame Announces 12 Member Class of 2025 Tuesday Night with Live Announcement Show The Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame Announced its 12 Member Class of 2025 Tuesday Night with a Live Broadcast at Hoosier Hanks on the East Side of Bloomington and live on the Radio on 98.7 FM and AM 1370 WGCL with longtime broadcaster Joe Smith hosting the show. The Class of 2025 Includes Six Athletes, 2 Coaches, 2 Contributors and 2 Pioneers who will officially be inducted on Friday July 25, at the Monroe Convention Center in Downtown Bloomington. This will bring the total number of inductees to 159 since 2011 when the Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame inducted its first class.
The Six Athletes include Andy Anderson Edgewood HS Class of 2000 Basketball and Baseball and played Baseball at Ball State University. Lance Fox 1976 graduate of Bloomington HS South as a pole vaulter and walked on at Indiana University and coached the vaulters at Bloomington North. Known as the Man of Many Voices including Joe Smith. Alex Guyton 2008 Indiana All Star at Bloomington North and went to Purdue University for Basketball and now an assistant coach for the Boilermakers. Jonathan Holmes played for his dad and 2012 Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame Inductee J.R. Holmes at Bloomington South and graduated in 1999. Played Basketball at the University of North Carolina for Dean Smith and now an Assistant Coach at Miami (Ohio). Ronnie Schneider Bloomington South Tennis Star and University of North Carolina. 3 Time State Champion and Mental Attitude Award Winner and the first Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame Inductee to also be named a scholar athlete award winner as a Senior in 2013. Sarah Thompson who played Basketball and Softball at Edgewood HS and graduated in 2004.
The Two Coaches are Wayne Nichols played Football at Indiana University and was a Football coach at University HS and Bloomington North. 58 years a Physical Education Teacher at every school in Monroe County and coached track. His wife Janet in attendance Tuesday Night along with his children as Wayne Nichols passed away in 2022 and Larry Williams who is going strong. As the Cross Country and Track Coach at Bloomington South and Bloomington North Graduate. The Two Contributors are Jim Murphy longtime community leader and the president of CFC Properties in the City of Bloomington and was indicated into Eastern Greene Hall of Fame as part of the Inaugural Class as Four Sport Athlete and a Softball Player in his adult years and Shelby Wilson who has been involved in Wrestling for a long time as an athlete, coach and mentor. Oklahoma native and 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist who has lived in Monroe County and is still active in the wrestling community.
The Two Pioneers are Ted Fox who was a Track and Field Star at Bloomington High School who won the 1944 Pole Vault State Title and the longtime Cross Country and Track Coach at Bedford North Lawrence HS and will go into the Hall of Fame with Son Lance. Ted Fox passed away in 2004 at age 78. Bob Snoddy who is University High School only State Track and Field Champion winning two state hurdles titles in 1947 and passed away in 2014 at age 86. For more information including tickets for this summer’s banquet please visit the Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame Website at www.monroecountyshof.org
Former Indiana University Women’s Soccer Player Sydney Masur Signs Professional Contract with Fortuna Hjørring in Denmark Indiana women’s soccer alum Sydney Masur has signed her first professional contract to play with Fortuna Hjørring in Hjørring, Denmark. “I want to thank my coaches and teammates at Indiana for helping to prepare me for this next chapter of my life,” Masur said. “Playing at the highest level of college soccer has been an incredible experience, and I know I wouldn’t have this opportunity to play professionally without IU. I’m so grateful for the support from the staff and my teammates over the past four years, and I’m excited for what’s ahead. Go Hoosiers!”
In her four seasons with the Hoosiers, Masur played in 68 games, making 56 career starts and totaling over 4,500 minutes on the pitch while helping the team to the NCAA Tournament in 2023. She scored three goals, three assists for five points in her career and earned All-Big Ten freshman team honors in 2021. The Montclair, New Jersey native was a two-time College Sport Communicators Academic All-District and two-time All-Big Ten Academic honoree during her collegiate career. “We are so happy for Sydney,” Interim head coach Tim Verschuren said. “Sydney was not only a talented player but also a fantastic leader on and off the field. She always put the team first and inspired her teammates with her positive attitude and unwavering support. I know she will continue to excel in her professional career, and I am confident that her leadership qualities will make her a valuable asset to her new team.”
Three-Time WNBA Champion Natasha Howard Returns to the Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever announced the signing of free agent Natasha Howard, a three-time WNBA Champion, Defensive Player of the Year and former First Round draft pick of the Fever. Howard, who was selected by Indiana No. 5 overall in the 2014 WNBA Draft, will again suit up for the Circle City having previously played for the team in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. “Natasha has been a top free agent target for us since day one. In addition to being one of the most versatile forwards our league has ever seen, she is also a proven winner and will bring a great veteran presence to our locker room,” said Indiana Fever General Manager and COO Amber Cox. “Having worked with her the last two seasons, I came to admire her professionalism and approach to the game. She’s an incredible player and even better person and we are thrilled to welcome her back to the Fever.”
“I’m so thankful to God for leading me back to my home with the Indiana Fever. No matter the situation, when you believe and uplift, a great gift will be waiting for you,” Howard said. “I’m excited to get back to Indiana to represent and share the love with those who believed in me from day one.” A native of Toledo, Ohio, the signing reunites Howard with Head Coach Stephanie White, who was an assistant with the Fever in 2014 before taking over as Head Coach in 2015. Together the pair reached the 2015 WNBA Finals after having made it to the Conference Final the year prior, Howard’s rookie campaign.
Howard won back-to-back WNBA Championships in 2017 and 2018, with the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm, respectively. The 2018 title marked her first with Seattle, again winning with the side in 2020 – her third career championship. Individually, Howard was honored as the 2018 Most Improved Player after leading the Storm to a league best record and posting a then career-high 13.2 points per game, 6.4 rebounds, 1.97 blocked shots and 1.29 steals. A year later, in 2019, the Florida State University product was named to the All-WNBA First Team and earned the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award following a season that saw her total a league-leading 74 steals while also finishing third in the WNBA in total blocked shots (59) and blocks per game (1.74). Howard is also a two-time WNBA All-Star (2019 & 2022). The forward has also won numerous championships overseas, including two Turkish League championships (2022-23 & 2023-24), two EuroLeague titles (2023 & 2024), the 2023 FIBA Europe SuperCup and the 2024 Turkish Cup. Currently competing with Turkey’s Çukurova, Howard is averaging a team-high 19.2 points per game to go along with 10.8 rebounds.
Indiana Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle Named NBA Eastern Conference Coach of the Month The NBA announced Monday that Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has been named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for games played in January. Carlisle led the Pacers to the NBA’s best winning percentage during the month as the team posted a 10-2 record. Indiana averaged 119.5 points per game, shot 50.3 percent from the field and outscored opponents by an average of 10.3 points per game during the month. The Pacers posted a 5-0 record in road games during January and have earned six straight road wins overall, which is one shy of their franchise record. After a 10-15 start this season, the Pacers have posted a 17-5 record and now hold the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference with a 27-20 overall mark.
Carlisle becomes the first Pacers coach to earn Eastern Conference Coach of the Month honors since Nate McMillan in December 2018. This marks the fifth time in his career Carlisle has been named Coach of the Month, and his first honor since February 2011 when he was coach of the Dallas Mavericks. Carlisle has been named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month twice as head coach of the Pacers, previously earning the award in November 2003 during his first head coaching tenure with the team. Carlisle shares honors with Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, who was named Western Conference Coach of the Month.
Taylor University Women’s Track and Field Athlete Noel VanderWall Picks Up Weekly Crossroads League Honor Noel VanderWall was named the Crossroads League Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week on Monday, on the heels of her standout performance for Taylor at the IWU Midwest Classic on February 1. VanderWall scored a win in the 3,000-meters and hit qualifying marks for NAIA Nationals in each of her two events. VanderWall helped Taylor post the second-best time in the nation in the 4×800-meter relay with a runner-up mark of 9:28.85 and her 3,000-meter time of 10:04.50 was also in the NAIA’s top 10 this season. Midway through the indoor season, VanderWall has already qualified for Nationals in the mile, 3,000-meters, 4×800-meter relay and the distance-medley relay, while scoring three event wins. The Crossroads League weekly honor is the first for VanderWall this season and the fourth of her career. The honor also gives Taylor a total of 33 athlete-of-the-week honors for the 2024-2025-year. VanderWall and the Trojans will return to action on February 14 and 15 to host the 2025 Crossroads League Indoor Championships.
WWE Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium Sets New Records over the Weekend Royal Rumble 2025 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis will go down as one of the most successful events in WWE history. Saturday night’s event which saw Jey Uso eliminate John Cena to secure a main event spot at WrestleMania 41 was the highest-grossing Royal Rumble in WWE history, according to Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque, aka retired wrestler Triple H. “For a single-night event, it’s the largest gate that WWE has ever done,” the former wrestler said during the post-show press conference. Royal Rumble 2025 also had the third-largest crowd of any live WWE event in history, with an announced attendance of 70,347, according to Levesque. The only event to beat that gate was last year’s WrestleMania 40, which took place over two nights.
Levesque says Royal Rumble fans came from all 50 states and 48 countries. Royal Rumble weekend, which also included Friday Night SmackDown at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, is part of a first-of-its kind partnership between WWE and Indiana Sports Corp. The deal will bring WWE’s three largest stadium events to Lucas Oil Stadium, including WrestleMania and a two-night SummerSlam, in future years. The partnership also includes Raw, SmackDown, NXT, and other WWE live events in cities across Indiana, including Fort Wayne and Evansville. Indianapolis will host WWE’s three largest stadium events at Lucas Oil Stadium, including WrestleMania and a two-night SummerSlam, in future years.